Improvement in reclining-chairs



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w M. BRINTNALL.

RECLININ'G CHAIR.

Patented Aug. 15, 1876.

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N-PEIERS. PNOTO-UTNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

ZSheets-Sheet 2. '1'. M. BRINTNALL.

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N o.181,137. Patented Aug.15,1876.

".FET'BRS, WOGUPHER, WASHINGTON, D. Q

UNITED'STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

"rr roMAs M. BRINTNALL, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN GOODOHILD, or SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RECLlNlNG-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,137, dated August 15, 1876; application filed 7 April 26, 1876.

To attach-om it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. BRINTNALL, of the city and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Reclining- Ohairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this specification, in which-- -Figure 1 is aside view of my improved chair. Fig. 2 is a detached View of a portion of the working mechanism. Fig'. 3 represents a modification of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a modification of a portion of the locking mechanism. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view, parts being removed. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the slotted guides and toothed eccentric, by means of which the back is locked in position. Fig. 7 is aside view of the slotted guide for holding the foot-rest in position. .Fig. 8 is a section on the line a; at, Fig. 5. i

The object of my present invention is to constructca chair so asto provide, although through different mechanism, all the advantages as to operating, adjustability, and looking of the hinged back and seat thatare pos' sessed by chairs described in my three several applications on'file and now pendingin the 'United States PatentOffice. One .of these additio nal features is the adoption and use of the improved meansof operating the seat and back,in connection with means for supporting a curtain which can be so arranged as to secure the utmost privacy to the occupant of the chair, and another is the supplying a footrest susceptible I of a; "double adjustment.

The first feature of my invention consists in providing a chair with standards terminating in a flator fbowto'p, substantially similar to thesupportofan ordinary buggy-top. This is to be so connected with the axle or pivot of either the back or seat of the chair as to permit I of the free oscillation gor swinging to and fro on its bearings. ,Tliisframe is provided with a mechanism which shall control its operation in such a wayastope'rmit of its being locked at any desired angle, and is so arranged as to l cause it to bemade a convenient supportfor a berth-curtain, for one which conceals the entire person of the occupant; or it may be a simple or front curtain or cluster extending down to and over the foot-rest, and, of course,

the lower limbs of the occupant.

The second feature of my invention consists of a foot-rest provided with suitable bearings, to which are secured toggle-arms orlazy-tongs. These toggle-arms or lazy-tongs are operated by means of a right-and-left-hand screw and shank nuts. This right-and-lef't-hand screw may be attached so as to provide journal-bearings for the foot-rest to swing on, or it may be journaled below, and the rest pivoted or secured by any other suitable means to secure its rocking movement. The means alluded to secure the extension or withdrawal of the foot-rest in a longitudinal direction. Its elevation or lowering is secured by an arm or ratchet-rack secured on a shaft journaled in bearings, the lower bearing of this arm being secured on a suitable shaft in such manner as to cause it, through its movements, to impivot-bearings, on which the back swings.

The forward or bow-shaped section of the arms terminates in shanks, which pass down through slots in the seat, and are keyed to a traveling axle, which works or moves in slotted bearings provided on the under surface of the seat.

This axle is provided with a crank-handle, by which its movements are controlled, and locking-eccentrics, or ratchet rack and pawl, or ratchet-wheel, or other suitable device, is arranged in connection with the slotted bearings and traveling-axle, by means of which the axle can be securely held, and retained at any desired position of adjustment.

My present invention further consists in operating the seat, secured by suitable pivotbearings, so as to tilt it to, and lock it at, any desired angle, by means of a screwjournaled in suitable bearings below the seat, and a traveling wedge-plate bearing, the inclined face of" which meets or gears with a similar platev beneath it, the. incline of which runs in the opposite direction to the incline of the upper plate, the lower plate being connected with the pedestal in such a manner as to allow of its'rocking therein. If desired, these wedgeplates may be duplicated, in which case, of course, a right-and-left-hand .screw would be substituted.

The construction and operation of my invention are as follows:

A is the pedestal, in the socket-bearing of which rests the standard of the head or support B. This support may be left free, so as to permit of the chair being rotated at pleas.

ure; or it may be rigidly fastened by means of a screw, a, or other similar device.

The head or supportB consists of a standard, b; and a projecting section, terminating in a slotted end, at the opposite sides of which are lugs c 0. These lugs c c are each formed with an eye, which provide suitable journal-bearings for the shaft 0.

D is the seat, and has cast or otherwise formed on its under surface lugs d d, which are also provided with eyes, through which pass the shaft 0, which is rigidly keyed therein, so as to provide, in connection with the lugs c a, suitable rocking bearin gs for the seat. ButI desire it distinctly understood that there is nothing arbitrary about the employment of the shaft 0 for this purpose, as the seat might be pivoted by means which would readily suggest themselves to any skilled mechanic, so as to operate as desired and entirely independent of the shaft 0.

In suitable bearings e e, on the under surface of the seat 0, is journaled, so as to allow of its free revolution, a screw. E, which is*pro-. vided with a crank-handle, E, by which the screw is turned when it is desired to change the position of the seat. This screw E,in connection with wedge-shaped plates F F',forms the. operating mechanism of the seat.

The, plate F at its upper section is formed.

ablebearings in the seat I) of the support B. p

' Thefaces of these plates F F may'bejplain;

'bntI' prefer that thy should be tongued and grooved, as shown in Fig. 2.

The, operation of this mechanism will be easily understood. When the crank' E is turned in one direction, the screw causes the plateF to travel down on the plate F, which causes the seat to-incline toward the front, and when the crank is turned in theopposite di'lfctiomthe plate F also travels in tbe oppositeadirection, and a reverse movementfis imparted to the seat;

, In'stea'd;of one set of plates, F F, being used ;a*s -sh own in Fig. 2, they may beduplicatedfasshown in; Fig. 3, and the 'screw'E'in this instance: shouldl be aeright and' left-ihand screw, so as to. impart thidesired .simult-ane-= ous movement to the duplicate traveling plates F F. g

The frame or supportfor the curtain may 1 be oftheform shown in the drawing, cousisting of two vertical arms,' G 1G, meeting and terminating in abow t'op; 'orthe arms may be entirely independent,a'lld pivoted to either the back or seat,the essential features which inust be observedbeing that they shall be so attached to some portion of the chair as to permit of their being extended or thrown forward to asuitable position tosupport the curtain, and when not in use folded back so as to be entirely out of the way.

In Fig. 1 these arms Gr Gare journaled on the shaft 0 in a manner .to allow of their free rocking or swinging motion;but', of course, they could be pivoted in various other ways .to secure their oscillating movement. These arms G G, when extended,"-arelocked or held in position by toggle-arms orf pivoted levers. G G, as clearly shown in Fig. 1; butas these arms simply constitute as it were, a locking mechanism for holding theuprightsor frame G .G in an extended position, aswhen suppdrtin g the curtain, a loeking'deviceat their base-* such, for instance, asa ratchet attaclnnent might be substituted forthem, Overthese arms G G and the backQH secured a. curtaini (Shown in dotted lines 'at 1H, Fig. 1.) This curtain maybe of any de re pattern-or stylei It may be a .berth-curta the chair, so asto oft'e ent occupant, or simply a down and over the'feet it may. be of ale-mm ot blanket," which wil b nighttravel 'whe m a sleeping-chair on The back H issecur of a shaft, h, or suitable p1 mannerto permit of 'th angle back and seat shall pleasure. Then axle hand eyes it of lateral Knee-bearing constructed asto above the-eyes '01 operation, 'the'levera weight of the swingin as much as p ssij are pivoted to th in position, asne ated by a crank-handle, L, and the shaft may be caused to work in slotted guides M M, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, although these are not positively essential, as the rounded ends of the arms K will hold the shaft L in contact crank L, which carries with it the shaft L,

and it, through its connection with the arms K K, draws forward or pushes back the back H, as the case may be, when the crank being released, the locking mechanism employed will'fasten the back in position. Z is a spring on the shaft L, and may be advantageously used for the purpose of keeping the locking mechanism in gear. The foot-rest consists of a plate, N, and grooved side arms N, the same being so connected that the plate shall slide freely in the arms in a longitudinal direction.

In lugs B B, at the front of the seat-frame, is journaled a right-and-left-hand screw, 0, which is worked by a crank, 0. On this screw is swung the foot-rest, and on the screw are also secured traveling shank-nuts P P, which are pivoted to the projecting ends of a system of toggle-arms or lazy-ton gs, N secured on the under surface of the foot-rest plate. Of course, when the screw 0 is turned in a direction to cause-the shank-nuts P P to travel 'toward each other, the toggle-arms are contracted at their upper section, and are extended longitudinally, and push out the plate N. WVhen the screw 0 is turned in the opposite direction. the toggles are, of course, ex-

panded in a lateral direction, and the plate N is drawn in. W is a slotted arm, secured in a suitable bearing, to, under the foot-rest, and working over a shaft, It, secured in bearings r r projecting down from the front of the seat. This shaft It is not for the purpose of elevating or lowering the foot-rest; but when the occupant elevates the same, even to such an angle as is shown in Fig. 1, which is a most comfortable form for smoking, 8120., simply by turning the shaft R, an eccentric, m, Fig. 7, is brought in such direct contact with the inner face of the slot in the arm W as to securely lock the same, and when it is desired to lower the rest the shaft is reversed, when the rest will fall through its own gravity; or, instead of the arm W, with its slot, an arm may be substituted with a straight or angular slot, and the slot may be toothed, or a ratchet-rack substituted, its teeth being caused to mesh or gear with a ratchet-wheel or pinion secured on the shaft R, in which case the shaft It, instead of becoming the locking device, would become the motor, and an independent locking device, such for instance as is shown in Fig. 4, might be most advantageously substituted, the same working in connection with a pinion on the shaft B.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of United States, is-

1. In combination with a reclining-chair, having adjustable back and seat, the arms G G, and brace or toggle-arms G G, the former being journaled to the shaft of the seat in such manner as to permit of their being thrown forward to support a curtain, and when not so used withdrawn and folded over the back of the chair, substantially as described.

2. The swinging back H, having knee-bearings I I, which project in front of the plane of the back, arms K K, having shanks k k, and shaft L, connecting said arms under the seat, the whole combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. The combination of the hinged seat D and the plates F F, the same arranged to operate substantially as described.

4:- The extension foot-rest, and a system of toggle-arms or lazy-tongs, N in combination with the right-and-left-hand screw 0 and traveling shanknuts P P, the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

5. A swinging foot-rest, having a pivoted supporting-arm, W, attached thereto, shaft R, and locking-eccentric or, the whole combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS M. BRINTNALL.

Witnesses:

EDWIN JAMES, PHILIP F. LARNED. 

